For the Sunshine Coast Queensland Australia, the recorded 4 year average local  background radiation level was 0.10 uSv/hr before the Fukushina Nuclear disaster , see historical chart at bottom of page.

 

Once the Gammascout Alert Geiger counter recorded 24 hr 60 second logged data, of the day has been downloaded, it is analyzed and then posted here the next morning. At times significant peaks in radiation maybe detected which would warrant the issuing of a cautionary email advisory or an alert. To be placed on the radiation advisory alert list simply click on  alertregister@sccc.org.au, address, and send. Please take the time to read any email advisory or alert, and come back to this web site during the day for further updates.

 

 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

An Oncologist in Japan has been doing ongoing research on the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster site workers, and has found he is getting very good results with Liposomal Vitamin C. It appears to be healing a lot of radiation damage to their bodies. Liposomal Vitamin C is a combination of vitamin C and lecithin. This combination seems to improve the up take of vitamin C by 80%!  It maybe a good idea for you and your family to research taking this to fortify against the effects of these radiation clouds coming through. He has been trying to encourage the Japanese government to educate their people about this treatment. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rbm_MH3nSdM&feature=channel&list=UL

Making your own Liposomal Vitamin C, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2eqfiTxDwg&feature=related

 

 

 

NEWS

Latest:

New Monitoring site set up for West Auckland New Zealand, https://www.facebook.com/pages/West-Auckland-Radiation-Monitor/367794690000067

A New Australian Live Radiation Monitoring station has been set up for Grovedale Victoria, on the Australian Live Monitoring site,  http://sccc.org.au/monitoring/sunshinecoast-monitoring-station.html

Former Prime Minister of Japan Naoto KAN, and the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster http://vimeo.com/61465640

Nuclear power, a financial and environmental assessment. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YdelLRdI4w&feature=player_embedded

Even low-level radioactivity is damaging, http://www.sc.edu/news/newsarticle.php?nid=5214#.UKlCJYbAHov

“The Food Lab”, has been set up to inform members about reported radioactive food contamination locally and internationally.

 

 

Recorded local background radiation levels

 

Alert Codes Monthly Trend  Last 24 hour Trend Free Guides Tools
Average to slightly elevated 7% above average for May 2013 Detailed Monthly Reports 8% above the 0.1 uSv/hr pre Fukushima 4 year average Free Geiger Counter Use Guide Live Monitoring Stations
 40% + above average 52% above average for January 2013. Rain Alerts issued January and May 2013, see below for more information. Free guide for DIY food testing lab  Local Weather Radar
 80% + above average Monthly average charts for 2012 & 2013, The 2012 year average was 21% above average. Advisories issued for 27th, 17th November, & the 11th October 2012, see below for more information. Radio show,  after a bit of an introduction on synchronicity explains in detail why this site is so important Cloud flow Animation
120% + above average Local news paper article on first detection in January 2012 Local email advisory issued for 20th and 13th July and the 5th March 2012, see below for more information. Health and Environmental effects of technology Latest Solar Storm Info
160% + above Average “The Food Lab”, for the latest International reports of radioactive food contamination. Latest Earthquake Info

 

 

Daily average local background radiation levels by day and month for 2013

(To see last years 2012 recorded data charts, and advisories go here)

 

Detections have been made all over the world, these reports are local detections for Australia and New Zealand. “Is then, the whole of Australia also contaminated with radiation?”  No!

 

A lot of these detections reported for Australia are very localized. Even with a recent record day average of 0.213 uSv/hr, which is 113% above our average local background, is still lower than a lot of places in the world. It much lower than the USA national average of 0.34 uSv/hr, and lower than the world average of 0.23 uSv/hr.

 

What the increasing day average detections here do indicate, is that our local background radiation level is increasing. Our traditional lower levels lets us detect small changes. So far most of the increases here, seem to be increasing Radon levels in the atmosphere. The dynamic is changing so constant testing is continuing. Read the October 2012 monthly report here, for a couple theories on why Radon levels may be increasing.

 

Here is a theory put forward by the people running the Nimbin monitoring Station, for the large Radon washout events detected in the Nimbin and Mullumbimby areas in late January 2013.  The area had been in a dry period, and the underground aquifers were low. A flooding rain event came through and quickly forced a large amount of radioactive Radon gas into the atmosphere, that had built up during the dry period, in the aquifer layers.

 

The Radon daughter isotopes were then washed out of the atmosphere during the rain event, and detected on the rain swabs. It is not uncommon to get large radon washout events happening anywhere in the world during rain events. Radon gas is in the air we breath all the time, in small amounts. It decays to radioactive Lead Pb-214, Bismuth Bi-214 and Polonium Po-214.   Radon daughter isotopes decay very quickly. Even so, in an event like this, with such high multi uSv/hr levels of detection, it would advisable to stay out of the rain.   Much larger events like this have also been happening in Brazil, Video by Chris Busby http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=PoJb4CTPauA  See the early May, late January and early February 2013, reports below.

 

We haven’t seen any studies on the heath effects of being exposed to large Radon washout events. It is only a suggestion to take those precautions in the Rain Alert emails.  Why is the east coast of Northern New South Wales is getting such large radon washout events? We have some theories, but don’t really know. Here is a link to more information on Radon. http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/nuclear/radon.html

 

June 2013

 

Caloundra rain swab test chart 9th June 2013 - Here is a test chart of a rain swab of a local car, that shows a small  Radon washout event.

 

Nimbin report on the 9th June 2013 – “Bit of a wave blew through yesterday around midday, See the attached chart/s – The top chart is the three monitors here over the last 14 days and the bottom chart is CPM for 2xSi180g over 24hrs(8am-8am). All three counters recorded the wave. Drizzle and light showers all day…. Swab taken off the car earlier in the day yielded 2300cpm w/LND 7317 – the swab still showing activity now.

 

Rain water test 2nd June 2013 - May be a detection of Iodine I-129 from the tin roof down pipe polyester filter. It is not conclusive. Rain water was passing through this polyester filter off a 36 sqm tin roof at a location Sunshine Coast. If it is, it is still a very small detection of I-129, because the filter was in place for all of May. Mind you, not all of it would have been captured using this filter system. Lots of Beryllium Be-7 is also present! If I-129 is present in this Southern Hemisphere test, it would suggest that there is a lot more in the rain in the Northern Hemisphere!

 

For background on this subject read this article on using Be-7 as a tracer for I-129.

http://www.sciencecodex.com/dartmouth_scientists_track_radioactive_iodine_from_japan_nuclear_reactor_meltdown-89004

 

There is a natural Beryllium Be-7 and Lead Pb-210 cycle here in the Southern Hemisphere. There is more Beryllium Be-7 and Lead Pb-210, detected in rain washouts, during summer than in winter. This appears to be above average detection of Beryllium Be-7, and Lead Pb-210 in this test for May 2013.

 

Be-7 is produced by cosmic ray spallation in the upper atmosphere. The Sun had been relatively quite during May 2013. It takes around two weeks to reach sea level. It is my understanding that the Japanese have been pumping large amounts of liquid Nitrogen onto the multiple molten coriums at the Fukushima Nuclear disaster, to cool them down. The neutron bombardment, plus lots of underground corium venting, has also been releasing large amounts Beryllium Be-7 and 1-129.

 

Test chart using experimental Theremino MCA V4.5 software.

http://sccc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Down-pipe-polyester-filter-020613-TV45-20c-88395-+-text.jpg

 

Theory

Because the I-129 at 39.6 keV, and Pb-210 at 46.5 keV, have energy peaks so close together it can be difficult to tell them apart with a NAI scintillator. If they are present at the same time, the peak that shows will drift toward the 39.6 kev if more I-129 is present, and towards 46.5 keV if more Pb-210 is present.

 

 (Click on charts to see larger version)

Caloundra-local-average-background-radiation-levels-June-2013

 

May 2013

 

Nimbin update report on the 31 May 2013 – “I went out 6 times and took swabs of different surfaces of roughly the same size and grit content, and each time I got between 2.5uSv/h 5.5uSv/h. Yesterday & today seems more like 0.5 to 2.5uSv/h. This is so not fun….”

 

Nimbin update on the 22nd Alert Level detection 24.05.2013 – ” ….and here’s the chart – http://youtu.be/j18DbxD5Oys I live on the rim of a very large caldera and I suspect that the radon responsible for these events is forced out of the ground right here at times of high rainfall, when the fractures in the strata are inundated with water. Often the mountain that is my back yard is under mist and I suspect that mist accumulates radon progeny which is then rained out. Onto my bloody vegetable garden!”

 

Sydney 23.05.2013,  “My 2 counters are now showing 0.20uSv/h. It’s now 23/5/2013 22:19 Sydney Time. This is a bit higher than usual. Yesterday, I got some rain and then checked my wet clothes for radiation with the soeks couter, no radiation above background could be found. :-)

 

Caloundra 22nd May 2013, Rained this evening, so I did a  rain swab test, 0.65 uSv/hr. Longer testing with a sensitive Geiger counter showed the normal decay of Radon daughters in the washout.

 

Alert Nimbin monitoring station 22 May 2013. “Very high radon washout event currently in the Nimbin Valley. About 40 minutes ago, as I was leaving to drive to town for some supplies, I took a rain sample from the bonnet of my car (small sedan) using a cotton swab. When I returned home 25 minutes later I put the swab under my LND 7317 geiger counter and got 3974 counts in the first minute. That’s basically 10uSv/h! I’m logging it’s decay now….”

Note: Large Radon washout events can be very localized, just because it is happening in one location does not mean it is happening at yours.

 

Scintillator rain swabs test chart, for the 2nd and 11th May alert level rain event, at Nimbin Australia. It appears to be another very large Radon washout. The levels  of Lead Pb-210 and Beryllium Be7 detected in these rain swabs, is much less than the Nimbin late January and early February 2013 rain swabs.

http://sccc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Nimbin-rain-swabs-180513-TV38-18c-47659.jpg

 

Caloundra 14th May 2013, Rained this morning, so I did a  rain swab test, 0.69 uSv/hr. Longer testing with a sensitive Geiger counter showed the normal decay of Radon daughters in the washout.

 

Dunedin New Zealand13th May 2013. “Getting 1 picoCurie here at the moment with the window open – usually 0.4 or less …. something  blowing around.”  The Dunedin monitoring station has a Radon level detector.

 

Alert Nimbin monitoring station 11 May 2013. “Heavy downpours this morning have brought yet more radon progeny. A swab taken off the roof of the car (small sedan) this morning gave 2755cpm (LND7317) or ~6.8uSv/h. Ouch!   Nimbin Update: After more than 500 minutes, here’s the decay chart – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UHYRyx_52c&feature=youtu.be  I’ll send this one to be analysed too…”

Note: The Nimbin monitoring station has multiple Geiger Counters to verify detections.

 

Alert Nimbin monitoring station 2nd May 2013 . “Radon and friends are back! A little shower just now left behind 1900cpm (LND7317) on a swab taken from the car windscreen…Average here with LND7317 is 27CPM.”

 

 (Click on charts to see larger version)

http://sccc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Caloundra-local-average-background-radiation-levels-May-2013

 

April 2013

 

Local Rain Test Chart 13th April 2013. Detected traces of Beryllium Be-7, Lead Pb-210, and Uranium U-235 in local rain test, Australia.

 

Caloundra 11.04.2013 Background levels here have dropped back to  near normal averages in the last few days. Presently most of the air at my location in Australia has been coming from the east / south east, off the Pacific Ocean. In the last few months air flow has mainly been coming from the tropics, or off the Australian continent.

 

I used the Theremino Geiger Kit to test a rain swab I collected on Tuesday. It also showed a low  radon washout level. I put it in long average charting to get this 13 hour chart. Then just took a screen shot with the built in chart capture feature built into this free software. The rain swab also started at a very low level of 0.20 uSv/hr.

 

http://sccc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Rain-swab-090413-Radon-decay-13-hours.png

 

Information on the Theremino Geiger kit can be found in the free Geiger use Guide, http://technologypals.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Using-a-Geiger-Counter-to-test-food-for-Radioactive-Contamination.pdf   Also, set up two live local monitoring stations using the Theremino Geiger Kit system. http://sccc.org.au/monitoring/sunshinecoast-monitoring-station.html

 

  (Click on charts to see larger version)

Caloundra-local-average-background-radiation-levels-April-2013

 

March 2013 ( Month average 0.132 uSv/hr, 32% above year average )

 

Nimbin monitoring station 31th March 2013 . Just in, rain swab “1280 cpm (7317) off 2 meters corro after first shower of the day”

“Here is a chart of background counts for 31/3/13 clearly showing the spikes associated with the two major downpours that happened here late in the day. The data was generated on my background logger with one Si180g. My gs, my kit w/LND712, and my kit w/2xSBM20 recorded the same spikes only much less dramatically.” (Nimbin Chart, Y axis is in CPM)

 

Dunedin New Zealand  March 15th 2013. Reported increase in Radon levels, “Radon levels here in NZ have migrated from 0.3-0.5 to 1.6 … picoCurioes per litre.”

 

 (Click on charts to see larger version)

Caloundra-local-average-background-radiation-levels-March-2013

 

February 2013 ( Month average 0.139 uSv/hr, 39% above year average )

 

Report on the Alert level late January 2013 rain swab tests, February 9th 2013. Tested the Alert level +++ rain swabs collected at a private monitoring station on the east coast of northern New South Wales Australia. They were collected in late January, during a flooding rain event that had come down the east coast of Australia, from the tropics. Here is the test chart results of these rain swabs.

 

http://sccc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/East-Coast-Northern-New-South-Walles-rain-swabs-96-+-69-test-070213-TV38.png

There were small traces of Uranium U-235 detected in this test, plus the signature of fallout isotope/isotopes, at around 492 keV.

 

Report at the time.

“Well, today I broke the record for high detections in rain samples. 2700cpm or ~10uSv/h (LND 7317) off an area the size of a Corolla bonnet. I’m logging its decay…”

Photo: http://sccc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Nimbin-Rain-swab-2013-01-27-11.42.12.jpg

http://nimbinmonitor.info/#"

 

This is the third test sample tested here, that found the signature of the fallout isotope/isotopes, at around 492 keV.

1. It was detected in a local soil sample last year, on the Sunshine Coast. Here is that test chart of that soil sample using PRA scintillator software. (In the test above Theremino MCA software was used.)

http://sccc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Unusual-soil-sample-040812-64-13.jpg

2. It was detected in the activated charcoal down pipe capture test.

3. Detected in the cloth rain swabs.

 

UPDATE to mystery isotope detection:  Mystery isotope in the above test chart may be Beryllium Be-7 at 477 keV.

 

PavewayIII suggestion, “Can you try this sample again with a beta shield?”

 

I put a extra Aluminum beta shield directly in front of the Scintillator crystal, with these rain swabs behind it. This shifted the gamma peak to around 477 keV, which is the marker for Beryllium Be-7. Beryllium puts out 10% gamma to around 90% beta. Beryllium beta energies are 11% at 384 keV, and 89% at 862 keV. There must be an interaction of these beta energy’s with the scintillator crystal, that was creating the slight gamma peak shift to around 490 keV. Berylllium also has a 53 day half life.

 

Fukushima Corium, plus Liquid Nitrogen Injections, produces Beryllium Be-7 from what I have been reading. It can also be created by a solar coronal mass ejection hitting the earth’s atmosphere.

 

Important Note: Since the Mullumbimby late January and early February 2013 detection reports were posted, the owner of the Gamma Scout Geiger counter,  reported his unit had developed a fault. That fault was investigated, and the unit has since been repaired. He now has a Gamma Scout Geiger Counter, and a Theremino Geiger kit set up with multiple SBM-20 Russian tubes. This means he can now cross check between units, to verify each unit is working correctly.

 

This brings into question the accuracy of his reported detected levels, for late January and early February 2013, at his location in Mullumbimby. Multiple Geiger counters at different locations, spread over a wide area, detected elevated local background radiation levels during this event. This was from the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, to the Northern New South Wales East Coast. The highest detections where on the Northern New South Wales East Coast. The other units used by people at different locations were all reported to be working correctly during this time, and still are. Most of these private monitoring stations have multiple Geiger Counters to cross check against, so they can verify detections.

 

Alert Mullumbimby 2nd, to 4th February 2013. (Note: Mullumbimby Geiger Counter reported as being faulty) Mullumbimby still has been getting alert level local background, with day averages at times above 0.40 uSv/hr, plus peaks over 1.20 uSv/hr. Normal background is generally around 0.12 uSv/hr, 24 hour charts for the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th of February.

 

Caloundra-local-average-background-radiation-levels-February-2013

 

January 2013 ( Month average 0.152 uSv/hr, 52% above year average )

 

Alert Mullumbimby 28th to 31st January 2013. (Note: Mullumbimby Geiger Counter reported as being faulty.) Mullumbimby had very elevated local background, with a day average of 0.403 uSv/hr, plus peaks over 0.70 uSv/hr. Normal background is generally around 0.12 uSv/hr. 28th chart, 30th chart, 31st chart

 

Caloundra 28th January  2013. Yesterday the 27th set a day average detection record for this location. It was 0.213 uSv/hr, or 113% above average. The highest day average ever recorded here! From 12pm to 8am on the morning of the 28th, the local average background for that period was 0.235 uSv/hr, or 135% above average, which would place it into the next alert level.

 

Alert Nimbin monitoring station 27th January 2013 . Just in, rain swab off bonnet of a small car.

“Well, today I broke the record for high detections in rain samples. 2700cpm or ~10uSv/h (LND 7317) off an area the size of a Corolla bonnet. I’m logging its decay…” Photo

 

Caloundra 26th January 2013. Just went up another alert level, to 84% above 4 year local background average, see January 2013 day chart below. Here is the 24hr chart.

 

Alert Nimbin Monitoring station report 25th to 26 January 2013. Alarming background here this morning. Gamma scout alarm set at 1uSv/h has been off a few times with visual readings above 1.2uSv/h. Just checked the log and background has been steadily rising since the wee hours and is now averaging over 0.3uSv/h. Chart for 25th to 27th

 

Alert Mullumbimby 25th, 26th, 27th, January 2013. (Note: Mullumbimby Geiger Counter reported as being faulty.) January 26th, more rain and high readings on the Gamma Scout – peaks at over 0.9 uSv/h. house is dry, temperature low twenties. Chart of 25th to 26th, Chart of 26th to 27th.

 

Alert Mullumbimby 24th January 2013. (Note: Mullumbimby Geiger Counter reported as being faulty.) I became aware of sharply increased readings with the alarm of the Gamma Scout (set at 0.6 micro Sv/h) going off repeatedly. I observed on the display values of 1.3 micro Sv/h. In light rain to medium showers background radiation was increasing setting off the alarm repeatedly in the evening with values increasing. Chart of event

 

Rain Alert issued 22nd January 2013. These rain swab test reports could be very high Radon daughter washout events, even so, at these multi uSv/hr levels of radiation being detected, it maybe advisable to keep children and pets, out of the rain. Rain washout events like this can be very localized. Just because happening one location, doesn’t mean it will occur at your location. Radon wash out decays quickly, most of it has decayed after an hour. Because these are such large multi uSv/hr detections, it will take hours before it decays to near normal background levels.

 

Until further tests are done, there is no way of knowing if other longer lived isotopes are present. If you, a child or a pet gets wet, it would be advisable to have a shower as soon as possible, and wash hair and body thoroughly. Also, just after an event like this, it would be wise to wash any vegetables, herbs and fruit well, if picked from your garden. If you use tank water, it is suggested that the water passes through a  good  carbon, or better, type water filter before use. We haven’t seen any studies on the heath effects of being exposed to large Radon washout events. It is only a suggestion to take these precautions.

Why is the east coast of Northern New South Wales is getting such large radon washout events? We have some theories, but don’t really know. Here is a link to more information on Radon. http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/nuclear/radon.html

 

Alert Nimbin Monitoring station report 21th January 2013. I’ve taken about 5 swabs in the last 24hrs and detected between 1.7 and 2.7uSv/h in all, accept for the swab I took about 5 mins ago on which I have detected ~1600cpm or ~6uSv/h using an LND 7317 pancake. HOT! Just took another swab – 6.9uSv/h….

 

Alert Nimbin Monitoring station report 19th January 2013. Started raining here this afternoon, so not long after it started I took a swab, 1xCorolla windscreen = 2.2uSv/h.

 

Kapiti gaigakaunta Monitoring Station North Island New Zealand. 15th January 2013,  a significant increase in local background detected, see chart screen shot.

 

Alert Nimbin Monitoring station report 14th January 2013. More than 3uSv/h off the car this morning (LND7317) after a light rain shower.

 

Dunedin South Island New Zealand 9th Janaury 2013. In New Zealand a discrepancy in radon ionisation meters and daughter product collectors has indicated the presence of unknown radio-isotopes in the air in an estimated concentration of around 1 picoCuries per litre. This anomaly has been recorded upon gamma recorders.

 

(To see last years 2012 recorded data charts, and advisories go here)

Four year local background radiation levels recorded from 2007 to 2011.  ( 4 year average 0.10 uSv/hr )

 

 

Radiation Cloud detected over Australia 8th January 2012

http://sccc.org.au/archives/2490

Radiation Cloud detected over South Island of New Zealand 29th January 2012

http://sccc.org.au/archives/2517

Radiation Cloud detected over Melbourne Australia 26th February 2012

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q74OAsV2yPU

 

Disclaimer: This is an amateur volunteer run service. Human error can provide incorrect information, and equipment malfunction can produce false readings. Do not rely on, or take action upon information presented on this web site, without further research. Views expressed in the pages or images on the SCCC Inc., site maybe the personal opinions of the relevant writers, and are not necessarily representative of those of SCCC Inc.